Villanova Engineering Launches Center for Dynamics, Intelligence and Learning Systems

Villanova University College of Engineering is launching a new interdisciplinary research center that will bring together faculty expertise in dynamic systems, data analytics, artificial intelligence, robotics and educational innovation to address complex challenges across engineering and society.

The new Center for Dynamics, Intelligence and Learning Systems (CDIALS) merges two existing Centers of Excellence—the Center for Nonlinear Dynamics and Control and the Villanova Center for Analytics of Dynamic Systems—into a single organization designed to advance research at the intersection of intelligent technologies, dynamic systems and human learning.

Directed by C. Nataraj, PhD, the Moritz Endowed Professor of Engineered Systems, with co-director Garrett Clayton, PhD, professor of Mechanical Engineering, CDIALS will unite about a dozen faculty members from across the College of Engineering, representing Mechanical, Electrical and Computer, Civil and Environmental, and Chemical and Biological Engineering, as well as Computer Science.

“Dynamic systems are everywhere—from transportation networks and autonomous robots to physiological systems and educational technologies,” Dr. Nataraj said. “The center creates a new synergy and a new focus that unites researchers from many different disciplines under a single umbrella, allowing us to collaborate more effectively and tackle problems that no one researcher could solve alone.”

Building on the strengths of its predecessor centers, CDIALS will focus on the modeling, analysis, control and analytics of dynamic systems while expanding research in machine learning, autonomy and intelligent technologies. The center will also support educational innovation, exploring new approaches to teaching and learning through emerging technologies.

Research within the center spans a broad range of applications, including robotics and autonomous systems, transportation engineering, biomedical diagnostics, physiological modeling, sports analytics and AI-enabled decision-making. Faculty affiliated with the center currently lead projects supported by the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Office of Naval Research, Department of Defense and other state and federal agencies, representing approximately $6 million in active research funding.

“The Center for Dynamics, Intelligence and Learning Systems reflects the collaborative, interdisciplinary approach that defines engineering today,” said Michele Marcolongo, PhD, PE, the Drosdick Endowed Dean of the College of Engineering. “By bringing together faculty with complementary expertise in analytics, controls, machine learning and dynamic systems, the center will strengthen our research enterprise, expand opportunities for students and position Villanova to address some of society’s most pressing technological challenges.”

In addition to fostering collaboration across engineering disciplines, CDIALS will pursue partnerships with researchers in medicine, physiology, mathematics, physics and computer science, creating new opportunities for innovation and discovery. The center will also serve as a hub for faculty and student engagement, helping translate research advances into real-world solutions that improve human health, safety, mobility and learning.

“Learning is at the heart of what we do,” Dr. Nataraj said. “It applies both to intelligent systems that learn from data and to people learning through education. Bringing those ideas together creates exciting opportunities for research, innovation and impact.”